Inland communities on standby as Gustav heads toward coast

As of Friday, emergency officials across Arkansas are on full alert as Hurricane Gustav heads into the Gulf of Mexico.

Michele Page

As of Friday, emergency officials across Arkansas are on full alert as Hurricane Gustav heads into the Gulf of Mexico.

The National Weather Service predicted that Gustav would gain category 3 hurricane status with sustained winds of up to 100 mph.

“This storm could affect the coast anywhere from Texas to Florida and have impacts further inland,” according to the National Weather Service Prediction Center.

Michael Burchett, director of the Phillips County Office of Emergency Management, said local responders were on standby and that the Arkansas Department of Emergency Management issued a statewide alert in preparation of a possible hurricane hitting Louisiana.

On Friday, Louisiana issued a state of emergency and called in the National Guard.

“We’re kind of on hold in case something happens,” Burchett said Friday.

The Arkansas Department of Emergency Management is assembling emergency response and disaster teams ahead of the storm’s anticipated landfall.

Burchett explained that if evacuees come to Phillips County seeking refuge, preparations are needed, depending on the number of people.

As Gustav approaches on the anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, which was the costliest and one of the five deadliest hurricanes in the history of the United States, residents in Louisiana are not taking any chances and have sought refuge in Arkansas.

Most hotels in southern Arkansas have no rooms and are sold out as Louisiana residents flee the coast.

Burchett said the Arkansas Department of Emergency Management and the Arkansas Emergency Management Association held a conference last week. During the conference, emergency personnel at a state level were pulled from the conference to prepare.

Dave Maxwell, director of the ADEM, said Fort Smith would be able to assist 4,000 Louisiana evacuees. He added that an agreement was recently made with state officials. During Hurricane Katrina, Fort Smith housed 12,000 Louisianans.

Burchett said that if a large number of evacuees sought refuge in the county and stressed Phillips County resources, the county judge would possibly issue a declaration allowing the county department to offer a helping hand.

“We’d help get hotels, help churches, open shelters and feed people,” he said. “If we only get 10 people then that’s not enough for the declaration.

“I remember this from three years ago. I worked that whole weekend, 13 to 14 hours a day,” Burchett said.

Burchett said everyone was taking a wait-and-see approach because Gustav’s path could change.

“We have to keep monitoring and watching,” he said.

Pre-disaster teams from the area have headed to the Gulf Coast, and the Phillips County Office of Emergency Management plans exercises for other disasters, such as tornadoes, terrorism and chemical and biological agents this week.